There is lots of sports news to report this week. First, my son and I ran in the Summerfest "Rock and Sole" Half-Marathon on Sunday, July 10th. The first 6 miles of this 13.1 miles race were on the Hoan Bridge. It was incredibly hot, humid and almost no breeze. At about 10:30 am the race officials "black-flagged" the race which means they stopped timing it in order to encourage people to walk. The times were, however, posted. My son finished in 1' 28". I finished in 2' 56" which is my slowest time ever in a half. That time reflects a large amount of walking. An unusually large number of runners did not finish. I enjoyed the race although it was potentially dangerous to run in this heat and a number of people were overwhelmed. There were lots of people walking who otherwise would have been running. The race also featured a 10k ( about 6.2 miles).

At least two dozen runners collapsed from the heat and were taken by ambulance to area hosptials. Over 50 runners received emergency medical attention on-site. Some of the water stations ran out of water and that may have contributed to the problem. I saw several of the water stations being replenished with deliveries of gallon jugs and bottled water. Here is a link to the Journal Sentinel article: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/125290458.html

In other news, mark your calendar for the ROARING CHALLENGE on Saturday, July 23rd. The race starts at 9:30 am. The South Milwaukee Lions will be hosting a 5k race which includes an obstacle course! The runners will need to navigate through tires, barricades and a US MARINES climbing wall. Wow! That sounds like an incredible workout. There will also be a "regular" 5k run and 2-mile walk for anyone who wants to pass on the obstacle course. This sounds like a great time.

For more info go into any ANYTIME FITNESS ( there is one right next to Pick 'N Save in Cudahy) or you can go to www.smlions.org